This invention relates to stirrups to be used in conjunction with horseback riding and, more particularly, to a safety stirrup designed to prevent serious injury to a horseback rider in the event he or she is thrown from a horse.
Over the years a number of stirrup safety devices have been disclosed. Such as in U.S. Pat. No. 356,748, issued to D. B. Comly, dated Feb. 1, 1887. The Comly stirrup includes a foot loop having its side bars united together at the upper ends. The stirrup is also provided with a trip or tow bar extending across the face of the foot loop. The lower end of the yoke is provided with means whereby the foot loop and detachable yoke may be interlocked. Upon a rider being thrown from the horse the foot loop would be detached from the yoke.
In U.S. Pat. No. 725,204 issued to J. M. Birtels, dated Apr. 14, 1903, is disclosed a stirrup including a stirrup-iron having projecting arms constituting a socket and a rod connecting to arms. A loop-iron is detachably held between the arms and recessed to engage the rod. In case of an accident or throwing of a rider the loop rocks upon a rod and disengages from the stirrup-iron, leaving the latter on the rider's foot. Another such safety stirrup is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,537,532 issued to E. Hrabal, dated Jan. 9, 1951. The Hrabal invention discloses a safety stirrup including a pair of jaws pivoted together at their upper ends. Means at the pivoted ends are provided for suspending the jaws on a strap. Yielding means are provided to hold the jaws closed and interdigitating pins are carried at the lower end of the jaws and include notches in their upper surfaces. A suspension plate on the stirrup extends between the lower end of the jaws and a plate is provided including holes for receiving the pins. When a rider becomes unbalanced the stirrup may rock and force the jaws to open against the effort of the spring so that the pins become withdrawn from the openings.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,015 issued to Errol Ebejer dated Oct. 7, 1975, is disclosed a stirrup comprising a platform and support structure adapted for suspending the platform from saddle leather whereby a rider's foot may be accepted thereon. The structure includes a portion displaceable in respect to the platform when an excessive load is applied whereby the rider's foot may be extracated from the stirrup in an emergency.
As can be seen from the foregoing references the prior art has disclosed safety stirrups which are generally complex and are often limited as to direction of release and are susceptible to malfunction due to rust, corrosion and dirt and close tolerances of moving parts.